Capital Anxieties and Aspirations

Well, this has been day two of a 27-month journey for me. I am in Washington, D.C., right now for my staging event. There are 32 other trainees here and we have made it through our first day of intense orientation. Tomorrow it is shots, more info sessions and my last day in my nation, on my nation's holiday, in my nation's capital...what a send-off, right?

Our flight on the 5th is from D.C. to Paris, then to Dakar, Senegal, then to Praia, the capital of Santiago, and island in Cape Verde. I will life with a host family for about three months durng language, skill and cultural training. If all goes well, by September I will swear in as an official Peace Corps volunteer and then begin my service on one of the islands as a TEFL instructor.

Right now is a major time of transition for me, as I am saying goodbye to a perfectly good life and amazing people in trade for a nation now unknown to me full of strangers. I hope in time this temporary trade-off (if you can call 2 years temporary!) will begin to reveal this exotic nation and its people as home and a type of family to me. For now, it is a journey of excitement and anxiety rolled into a tight ball formed in the middle of my stomach. The unknown looms ahead and I can't help but feel an intense desire to experience it.

My greatest desire is to live this service right - to make the most of every situation and learn from the challenges. I can't wait for the future and miss those back at home with a passion I have never known (already!!).

So, as the last email subject that was sent to me states: Off, off and away... =)